The Sumner Academy Lady Sabres softball team powered past Washington Tuesday afternoon at Legends Field with an 11-8 win.
Four Sumner home runs, two by catcher Trista Milton, provided the winning margin and held off a seventh-inning comeback attempt from the Lady Wildcats.
Ariana Lysahowski started on the mound for Sumner and pitched six innings, giving up four runs. She also combined with second baseman Sofia Mercado on back-to-back home runs in the four-run fifth inning.
Washington fought to the last out, getting one run in the sixth inning and four more in the seventh. Arianna Leaper pitched a complete game for the Wildcats.
Both teams represent the combined forces of two USD 500 high schools. Wyandotte students play alongside Sumner students on the Sumner team, while Schlagle and Washington players unite under the maroon and white of Washington.
Combined teams have been necessary due to low participation in the last couple years, but the current rising trend in the number of softball players from each school should allow Wyandotte to field its own team in 2023, and Schlagle in 2023 or 2024.
Bonner Springs High School played host to 10 other local track and field teams, including Bishop Ward, Schlagle and Wyandotte, at the Bonner Springs Invitational on Thursday.
A passing thunderstorm delayed the meet for a half-hour due to lightning, but once the storm passed, weather conditions were beautiful for the athletes and spectators.
The Basehor-Linwood Bobcats won both the boys’ and girls’ team competitions, while Bonner Springs took third in the boys’ standings and fourth in the girls’.
Bonner’s Mariyah Noel, last year’s 5A state champion in girls’ discus, made a throw of 132-feet, 9-inches, the best 5A throw and second-best overall in Kansas this season. Jenna Knight won the girls’ 100- and 300-meter hurdles.
The Braves’ Noah Doss took first in the boys’ 100-meter dash, and Jason McConico won the boys’ 110-meter hurdles. Cooper McWilliams won the boys’ high jump and set a personal best jump of 6-feet.
K.J. Smith led the Bishop Ward Cyclones to a seventh place showing, winning the boys’ long jump and taking second in the 100-meter dash. Smith’s jump of 21-feet, 9-inches is the best by a 3A athlete this year.
Washington finished eighth in the girls’ standings and 10th in the boys’. Freshman Kylnn Lawrence took third in the girls’ 300-meter hurdles, and the girls’ 4×100-meter relay team also placed third.
The Wyandotte Bulldogs and Washington Wildcats met to play baseball at Legends Field on a warm, gusty Tuesday afternoon.
The wind whipped out toward left field up to 40 miles per hour, and more than once a runaway cap had to be retrieved.
The Bulldogs got the best of the big-stage game, racking up a 16-1 advantage that ended the contest after four innings.
The Wildcats got on the board in the top of the first inning, scoring on Austin Lasley’s double that drove in leadoff hitter Hunter Bidding. Wyandotte pitcher Manny Villalpanda closed down the offense after that, limiting Washington to just three hits overall in the game.
The Bulldogs answered back with three runs in the bottom of the inning, and then six more in the second to put the game out of reach.
Ryan Hooks ripped a triple in the top of the third, but the Wildcats couldn’t bring him home. Wyandotte’s seven-run fourth inning ended the game on the 15-run mercy rule.
Emilio Martinez Reyes led the Bulldogs on offense, going 2-for-2 at the plate, with a triple and a walk. Jose Rodriguez Munoz went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Villalpanda notched six strikeouts and gave up just two walks.
Washington used four pitchers from its very young staff to complete the game. Lasley was the most effective, coming on in relief in the second inning and getting the Wildcats through the scoreless third inning. He gave up four runs, three earned, in his one and two-thirds innings.
Wyandotte is now 5-2 overall this season, 3-2 in the Kansas City-Atchison League. The Bulldogs will play a double-header at home against the Topeka Trojans on Monday.
Washington is still winless at 0-5, 0-1 in conference play. The Wildcats will play a home game Thursday against Schlagle at Eisenhower baseball park.
On April 28, Legends Field will play host to a double-header of USD 500 action. Sumner Academy will play Pembroke Hill at 4 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by a game between Schlagle and Harmon.